


Don’t Give up the Curse

by Trista_zevkia



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Superman/Batman (Comics), World's Finest (Comics)
Genre: First Time, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 17:09:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trista_zevkia/pseuds/Trista_zevkia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When is a curse a blessing in disguise? Bruce Wayne is starting to get strange spells where he can feel the body of another, but he isn't sure whose, he can't control it and he's beginning to suspect it might have something to do with Klarion the Witch Boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don’t Give up the Curse

**Author's Note:**

> Repost from another site.

Batman absolutely did not shiver. It didn’t matter if Mr. Freeze had found a way to seed clouds and produce ice storms in early September, catching Batman without his cold weather gear. Batman increased his focus on the radar he’d hacked into on top of the local news station and let his fury warm him. Bruce might be biting his cheeks to keep his teeth from chattering together, but Batman didn’t, wouldn’t shiver, especially as the reflections on the equipment showed a certain someone floating down to him. Floating down like a blue and red snowflake, Superman had to be showing off. The cold certainly didn’t affect gods in their spandex.

“I didn’t give you permission to be here.” There was no need to turn around or growl at his teammate, so Batman compromised by only growling the words at him. 

“I’m here on official JL business and don’t need your permission.” 

“If you’re after Freeze than you do.” 

“Not here for him, Batman. I am scouring the globe for Klarion, the Witch boy. He turned Beast Boy into a scratching post a couple of days ago and Zatanna hasn’t gotten him fixed yet.” 

Batman didn’t shiver, but he could snort in amusement at Superman’s words. 

“What’s funny enough to get Batman’s rare laughter?” 

“I’ve always maintained that Beast Boy needed to be fixed, it’s refreshing to hear you agree.” 

“Not what I meant, and you know it. Seen anything suspiciously magical in Gotham tonight?” 

Batman’s hands froze on the controls, but not because of the temperature. 

“Just a previously unexplored application of a technology that no other human has been able to duplicate. I have some coordinates of Freeze’s hideouts, none of which would seem to correspond to a central location from which to start these storms.” A sigh followed these words, before Batman provided Superman with four addresses on the outskirts of Gotham. The two in town would be Batman’s to search, because it would be a bad thing if Freeze and Klarion were to team up as Batman now suspected they had. 

“Before we go, Batman. I could, um, help you warm up a little.” That hesitant statement got Batman to look away from his removal of equipment to glare at Superman. “A little heat vision, your core temp is kind of low, just don’t want you getting sick or anything!” 

The glare didn’t diminish as equipment was packed away without being looked at. 

“Just a suggestion, I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ll call if I find anything.” A streak of blue and red followed those words as Superman left. 

Anger helped Batman get moving, running across rooftops. That was a much better way to get muscles moving than being subjected to heat rays that hadn’t been tested for their long term effects on humans. Batman shoved the emotions and thoughts out of his head, focusing on the task at hand. 

Surveying as he ran, Batman looked for surveillance on his target destination, cameras and men. He found two men on a balcony, bundled for the weather, with a good view of the front and back of the abandoned canning factory. Random citizens would have been inside, hiding from the unexpected cold and expected villain attack. Even as he dropped down and neutralized the thugs, Batman considered telling Superman he’d found the hideout. Decided it would be better to make sure those other locations were clear, a decision not based on his need for distance from the annoying, cheerful, optimistic goof. 

The four thugs in the building with automatic weapons had him so warm that the cool breeze on his chin alerted him to the secret door. That’s why he left his chin and mouth exposed, in case he needed to feel something rather than let his equipment detect it. A narrow stairway took him to a room under the factory. The electronic locks and security were so easy to bypass, Batman knew they were meant to keep someone in, and not out. A bit of plastic explosive on the now unlocked door in front of him made sure he wouldn’t be trapped inside, at least not after he triggered the detonator. Opening the door showed mystic symbols around a cage containing an orange cat. No light seemed to be needed in the room, as the containment spells provided their own light. 

Klarion’s familiar, his orange cat, was confined here. That meant Mr. Freeze was forcing Klarion to help him magically amplify his tech. Impressive combination, and Batman would have like to know how that worked. As he didn’t know magic, Batman also knew he’d be better off bringing down a magic user from the JL before doing anything in this room. But ice had shut down emergency services in his city, his priority. Superman wanted Klarion to fix Beast Boy, and would be highly upset if he got away. That was an added bonus which helped Batman decide what to do. 

“Cat, look at me.” Another reason to hate magic, it was making him talk to a cat. And the cat did lift its head, to better focus on Batman. “I release you, Klarion releases Beast Boy. Otherwise, by the rules of magic, he’ll owe me a favor.” 

Magic required payment or balance, that was the one thing about magic that Batman could understand, predict and use. The cat took its time, but eventually gave Batman a slow nod. Probably the best he could hope for really, from a cat, so Batman stepped forward and dragged a boot through a symbol. The magic light flickered, so Batman did the same to another symbol. The third destroyed symbol caused the lights to go out and Batman flipped over to his night vision lenses. The cat was gone, and Batman went upstairs to face the consequences. 

B _Sb_ Bs

Bruce stepped out of the shower in the cave, wondering if it was worth the effort of going upstairs to his bedroom. Putting on the sweats was necessary to keep him warm, fighting off the chill of the night. It was almost dawn, after a night of cleaning up. Klarion hadn’t removed the ice from the streets, he’d used his freedom to magically toss Freeze to Death Valley. Leaving Freeze there would have been a death sentence come morning, so Batman had sent Superman to fetch him. He figured Superman had a lot in common with a puppy, overeager to please everybody, so he might as well learn to fetch for Batman. In the way Superman had agreed, Bruce knew he was pissed but didn’t let it bother him. 

The temp was increasing, but it wouldn’t really warm up until the sun was up, so Batman had to stay in Gotham. Had to transport the grievously injured and make sure nobody took advantage of the limited response of emergency services. Superman had brought back Freeze, handed him to the police and then set about melting the ice. Batman had supervised, to make sure Superman didn’t accidently melt the roads. Hair combed and almost dry, Bruce pulled on a hoody as he stepped into the main cave. He wasn’t surprised to see Superman there. Arms folded, he was glaring a lot and floating a little. He was also lucky Bruce didn’t laugh at him. 

“Bruce, going up against magic combined with technology without telling your partner is a stupid thing to do. I’m sure you had your bat-reasons, I know you can take care of yourself, and all your usual arguments but what would you have done if they had teamed up to stop you? You should’ve at least called the JL to send in a magic user!” 

“Lovely speech, how long did it take you to write it?” 

“Not long, I’m a professional writer after all. And I’m also serious, you need to be more careful.” 

“Calculated risk, ice limiting essential services to all of Gotham. Zatanna would have eventually found a way to restore Beast Boy. And if he doesn’t stop staring at her ass, she’ll fix him too.” Bruce walked over to the elevator, hoping Clark got the message. He really was tired, only human, as Clark enjoyed reminding him. 

“I know you’re an independent, lone wolf type, but it’s okay to let someone help you occasionally.” Clark sounded like the voiceover of a sappy public service announcement. Bruce turned with a sharp retort on his lips and coughed instead. Clark was beside him in an instant, x-raying him. 

“Cut that out! I’m dehydrated and need sleep, if you don’t mind.” 

“Go to bed, get some sleep and maybe it won’t be too bad of a cold. I told you your core temp was too low and now you’re sick!” 

“And what’re you going to do when I get cancer from you treating me like a bag of microwave popcorn?” 

“I don’t cause cancer!” 

“As far as you know. You are solar powered.” 

“Bruce, go to bed and take the day off.” 

“Get out of my cave so I can set the alarms.” 

“Fine!” The drama of the super-speed exit was lost on a man who was only annoyed at the childish immaturity of it all. 

Bruce voice activated the alarms and went up to his bedroom. Tossing off his sweats, Bruce climbed into his bed naked. He was almost asleep when he felt a gentle hand touch his forehead, like a concerned person was checking his temperature. Suddenly awake, Bruce took a good look around to make sure he was alone. Doubtless just more of Brucie’s wishful thinking to be loved. Bruce and Batman could both do without that sort of nonsense. Soon enough, all three aspects of Bruce were asleep. 

B _Sb_ Bs

When he woke up on his own, Bruce looked around his room. The curtains were still drawn, when Alfred preferred them opened. Alfred was concerned Bruce wasn’t getting enough sunlight, despite his claims of being a creature of the night. A box of tissues, an empty coffee mug and a thermos of what proved to be hot tea sat on the table beside the bed. Bruce grabbed a tissue in a vain attempt to empty his left nostril. The right was clear of unwanted fluids, at least until he sat up. 

Giving up on his nose after the fourth tissue, Bruce poured tea into the mug. It was sweetened perfectly and eased the tightness in his throat. Turning the clock to face him, Bruce saw it was after 3 p.m. and knew who was at fault. He had stuff to do at W.E. and Clark had told Alfred on him. Forget Clark the super-puppy, he was a five-year-old running to tattle. 

The irritation got Bruce to his feet and then to the bathroom. A few necessary activities in there and he had to lean on the doorframe before he tackled the distance to the bed. Body weak, head spinning, he felt a warm body behind him. A calm presence that supported him, promising he wouldn’t fall without using words. It was a nice feeling, and Bruce decided he’d add hallucinating to his list of symptoms if Alfred ever came in. Rejecting his nice hallucination gave him the momentum to make it to his bed without giving in to more weakness. Pulling to covers up to fight back the chill, Bruce dreamed of how nice it would be to have another body helping warm up the giant bed. 

B _Sb_ Bs

Two days and one night of sleep got him over most of the cold, so he only had to put a travel pack of tissues in his utility belt with a few cough drops. Yes, he would look silly if anybody saw Batman blowing his nose. All the more reason to make sure nobody saw it. A single night off turned the next working night into a game of Whack-A-Mole. 

Criminals who knew to be careful sensed his absence and poked their heads out to see what they could get away with. Which meant a long night of showing them they couldn’t get away with anything. It felt good and worked out the kinks of all that time spent in bed, being human. Between taking down drug dealers, Batman crouched on a roof and worked a nasty cough drop around his mouth. They didn’t taste like what they were supposed to, so why weren’t they just made to have no flavor at all? He decided to ask Fox to invest in or invent flavorless cough drops, whatever it took to get this taste out of his mouth forever. 

“Batman, do you smell menthol?” 

“No.” He said, when he meant ‘not in one nostril.’ But Batman wasn’t about to admit to the cough drop in front of Superman. “What do you want?” 

“Just saw you out and stopped by to say hi.” 

“Where were you when you saw me?” 

“Does it matter?” 

“Would I have asked if it didn’t?” 

“I was in orbit. Why does it matter?” 

“You’re not allowed in my city, so I’m glad you weren’t in it, but.” 

“You are a butt, because there’s always a ‘but’ with you.” 

“Oh, clever. But I don’t like you spying on me from orbit. How many people do you do that to?” 

“Just a few. Are you sure you should be out tonight?” 

“Who else to you watch? And yes, I should be out tonight. Should you have tattled to Alfred that I might have a slight cold?” 

“I’m not telling you who I watch, so you can’t go tell them. I don’t think you should be out, you just got out of bed at suppertime. I defiantly had to tell Alfred, to keep you from trying to work with that head cold. Hanging out in the cave probably would have let it develop into pneumonia. Besides, you know better than I do that having a cold changes your sinus pressure, which changes your perception of your balance, which could be dangerous to somebody who hangs out on rooftops.” 

“Finally reading up on human anatomy, the better to hurt thugs with?” 

“Yes, I’m studying medical texts and no, it’s not to beat people up with.” 

“Then what’s it for?” 

“To help teammates, when they get sick or injured.” 

“Go help Green Arrow, he’d make a great CPR dummy.” To emphasis that Superman was free to leave at anytime, like now, Batman stood. It was with only a slight wobble that only a few observant people would even be capable of seeing it. One of those observant people was wobbling, and another was watching. 

An arm was around Batman’s back and another held his left bicep before he could try and prevent it. Even as he jerked out of Superman’s show of concern, Batman remembered the dreams of the past few days. Dreams about not having to be alone and cold anymore. His voice was unusually harsh when he growled at Superman. 

“I’m fine. If not, you can say ‘I told you so’ over my grave.” 

Batman was alert now, but had plenty of criminals to help him calm down. It was the after effects of the sickness, and nothing more. 

B _Sb_ Bs

Brucie took the next day off from work, with a text to Mr. Fox that included the words ‘twins’ and ‘lotion.’ This let him sleep off the exhaustion he’d worked himself into the night before and be ready for that night. He ate his meal for the day with the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Nothing suspicious turned up during the security check of the house, but every so often he’d feel somebody watching him. 

Criminals were the cowardly and superstitious ones, Bruce didn’t believe in crap like that. So just to be sure, he spent two hours sweeping the house, the grounds and the cave for electronic surveillance or anything he didn’t like. It was clean and the feeling only increased when he was out on patrol. It continued, following him around for the next several days. Not usually one to ignore his instincts, Bruce learned to ignore this. It wasn’t a useful extra level of sensitivity or perception, just a damned annoyance. 

When the chilly October nights had him sliding into bed sheets of ice, he’d imagine a warm body holding him. This was a nice feeling, one he wasn’t ready to ignore just yet. Instead Bruce had snuggled into that imaginary heat source and slept well. When he started waking up aroused, Bruce decided he needed to actually sleep with one of Brucie’s dates, that was all. He’d wait for Alfred to open the curtains and set out the tea, leaving after a few sniffs of disapproval, before taking himself in hand. These morning sessions seemed to involve muscular, male bodies, so Bruce considered it might be time to expand Brucie’s dating pool. He knew he could go either way, he was just planning on springing that on the press when he needed them distracted. 

Bruce would lay back, close his eyes and remember being with a man. Short, dark hair was all he saw in his mind’s eye as a large mouth swallowed him down. A large masculine head with large hands that knew how sensitive his nipples could be, and used that awareness to drive him crazy. Tossing the blanket aside, Bruce could feel sparks of heat where he was being stoked and pinched by his shadow. There was something he needed to do, but he forgot about it as an imaginary finger slid up him and found his prostate. 

As he came off that rush, Bruce could detach himself and realize the presence he was feeling got stronger each time he let himself go like that. Bruce would then tell himself not to do it anymore, and maybe starve the presence out, but that resolve would disappear the next morning. He denied himself so much, what was the harm in this natural activity? Other than the imaginary friend, the one he’d talk to somebody about, when he found somebody to talk to. 

B _Sb_ Bs

His Thanksgiving was spent on a spaceship, helping the Green Lantern Corps track down a criminal. Superman had insisted on going with him and John. Clark and John were celebrating the capture of the criminal with the rest of the Corps as the ship headed for Earth. Bruce grabbed some food and carried it to the guest rooms. He’d eat and see what his imaginary friend was up to, before the others got back. The shared quest suite hadn’t left Bruce any time to play with his imaginary friend. Bruce hated to admit it to himself, but he missed the feelings he was having when around his imaginary friend. 

He knew he was probably going crazy, knew it couldn’t be healthy to spend more time and energy on an imaginary partner than any of the real people in his life, but it was the happiest he’d been in a long time. In the back of his mind, he knew he was too hard to love and not really worth the effort. A real person would have to be crazy and stupid to care for him like his imaginary friend did. Bruce knew that, and considered he was still okay as long as he didn’t name his imaginary friend. 

“Friend Batman!” 

Bruce stopped in the open door of the guest suite and looked down the hall. The captain of the spaceship was waving at him with a long, six-fingered hand. He was a foot taller than Bruce, but purple and spindly looking with three arms and three legs. Bruce doubted the man had bones, and would have been interested in studying the biology at any other time. Right now, he was horny. 

“Friend Avany, is there a problem?” 

“No, all is calm!” Avany stopped beside Batman, streaks of red appearing in his purple skin. “Tomorrow evening, your planet will welcome you back. I wished to welcome you to my bed this night, friend Batman.” 

“To make sure my translator got that right, are you saying you want to have sex with me?” Bruce tapped the device just to make sure it was working, and Avany got so much red in his face he didn’t look very purple any more. Bruce wondered if it was embarrassment or desire. 

“Friend Batman, if it does not offend you, yes. I wish to try sex with you. Your intelligence and skill impressed a desire in me, so I looked up your species. I believe us to be compatible for sex but not reproduction.” 

Avany was completely red now, but Bruce was thinking about other things. It was a terrible idea, but maybe it would get his mind off of his imaginary friend. Skin and fluid contact with alien life could cause all sorts of problems, theoretically, but it was probably safer than sex with Brucie’s slutty friends. 

“Do you have a private cabin?” 

Avany’s third eye opened, as it did in moments of extreme stress or excitement. “Yes, Friend Batman. Private, lockable, and very comfortable.” 

“Lead the way, Friend Avany.” 

B _Sb_ Bs

It was an experience, highly enjoyable and very different. Avany had agreed to Bruce’s rules, and kept his fluids to himself. Bruce had done the same, naked except for the cowl. No kissing and handy cloth for catching ejaculate should have made it very clinical. Avany didn’t have bones, his skin was lined with supportive air sacs that he could control. He’d been able to penetrate Bruce while sucking on him. Then Bruce had asked if Avany could inflate the air sacs on his phallus, something that’d never occurred to Avany before, and things got wilder. Instead of sliding in and out, he’d inflated and deflated and rippled inside, surprising Bruce by randomly hitting the prostate. 

Spent, Bruce had found out just how comfortable Avany’s bed was. His imaginary friend was waiting in his dreams, hurt and ashamed at the betrayal. Batman rose up in Bruce, refusing to be sorry for having a real encounter. The anger had awoken him and shown Avany to be a light sleeper. A hand tracing up Avany’s naked purple skin had been a question, which Avany had answered by turning crimson. This session lasted until just before Avany’s alarm sounded. Bruce only showered after Avany left, then put on his suit and went to find breakfast. Most of the crew had already eaten and gone on duty but Bruce still had someone to sit with. Clark was moodily picking at a plate of green rice until Bruce sat. 

“Bruce! Where did you go last night?” 

“We’re on a spaceship, I didn’t go far.” 

“We missed you at the party.” Clark sounded irritated at something, so Bruce considered his options. He could dig out the root of the problem and find a solution, or distract Clark. A shrug of the shoulders and Bruce went for the distraction. 

“You got the wrong Bruce if you expected me to party.” 

“The party was for you! It was your methods of investigation, so different than what they do that allowed us to find that guy.” 

“Please, one of the actors from CSI could have found that bozo.” The distraction worked and now Bruce was annoyed at the mission again. The Corps had been looking for the emission trail of the spacecraft and Batman had told them to follow the ship that kept changing its automatic id. That was the ship that was trying to hide from somebody, he said, and he’d been right. He could have stayed in Gotham and phoned this in. 

“You watch CSI?” Bruce wondered if Clark was now trying to distract him with questions. 

“Barbara summarizes them for me, so I can look into any new investigative techniques I might find interesting.” 

“Well, never mind that, then. Where were you last night, all night?” To go back to the original conversation showed Clark wasn’t trying to distract Bruce. 

“What do you care?” 

“You smell like the soap on this ship, yet I know you didn’t return to the room. So where were you when you showered?” 

“How do you know I didn’t return to the room, and why are you sniffing me?” 

“Super-smell is automatic. Why’d you shower?” Clark paused and waited for a reply. Bruce blinked at him, curious at this. One of the things he actually enjoyed about being around Clark was Clark’s ability to keep up with him as long as things didn’t get too technical. 

“Why are you avoiding answering my question?” 

“I did answer your question!” 

“The one about sniffing, not the other one. And I know you heard me.” 

“I just didn’t know where you were. Got back from the party pretty early and decided to wait up for you, but you never came.” Clark sounded mad that Bruce hadn’t returned, and mashed up the remaining green rice in his bowl. 

“Why did you leave the party early, why did you wait up for me and why didn’t you track me down if you were so concerned?” 

“I wasn’t concerned! Maybe a little curious, but that’s not the same thing.” 

“Isn’t that a line from a movie?” 

“Probably.” Clark shrugged it off and spoke to his bowl of green mush. “I did listened for you, but couldn’t hear you talking or the steady beat of your heart when you meditate.” 

“How do you know what my heart sounds like when I meditate? Is it from your spying from orbit habit?” 

“We’re getting off topic. Where were you last night?” Clark was now looking at Bruce, almost as if he was interrogating a suspect. Returning to this unimportant topic while avoiding questions about his activities was suspicious behavior, but Bruce was distracted by his own yawn. 

“If you must know, I spent the night with a member of the crew. We were neither talking nor meditating, and I showered when we were done with each other.” 

“Done with each other? You had a one night stand with an alien and it wasn…” Clark shut his mouth with an audible snap, and probably enough force to crush a pool ball Bruce thought. 

“It wasn’t what, Clark?” 

“Huh? Oh, well, I mean, it was you or Batman. Not, you know, Brucie. It was a thing and not a press release.” Dumb as that sounded, Bruce knew what Clark meant. 

“Any one of us is an adult, Clark. It was fun and a distraction with no risk of pregnancy and an acceptable risk of disease. Consensual with no strings attached. I’m only human, you know.” 

“And you know that’s not a weakness, right Bruce?” 

“What?” 

“Being human. You always say it like that, as if it’s some kind of curse. Humans have their flaws like any other species, but also their strengths and talents.” 

“That’s rich, coming from the guy who spies on me to make sure I don’t get myself killed.” 

“That’s got nothing to do with your species!” 

“What’s it to do with then?” 

“Dangerous line of work, that’s all. I bet you can’t wait to get back to Alfred’s cooking!” 

Bruce recognized the change in topic as a distraction, a way for Clark to avoid something. But Bruce was too tired from his night of exotic sex and little sleep to push right now. He’d get his answers later, as Clark would tell him eventually. One of the things you could count on from people who talked so much was that they’d tell you all sooner or later. 

“Alfred said he’d hold off on making Thanksgiving dinner until I got back, but I’m sure the boys didn’t starve.” 

B _Sb_ Bs

Bruce had gotten home in time to go on patrol, so his own bed sounded like paradise by the time he was driving back to the cave. All night long, he’d missed the presence of his imaginary friend, working to convince himself it was a distraction better off gone. The next evening had been the official family Thanksgiving dinner, and he’d enjoyed it. 

After eating, they’d sprawled out in the diversion room, as Alfred called it. Everybody else knew it as the T.V. room, but not o so proper Alfred. Bruce was reading through the stuff he’d missed while the T.V. blared, and in that happy moment, Bruce wished his imaginary friend was there to cuddle with. Silently, in his head, but he felt enough guilt over that desire to go down into the cave to work. After the feeling of fullness was gone from his stomach, he’d patrolled until the streets were empty and silent. 

After he’d showered, Bruce sat on the edge of his bed. It seemed large, cold and lonely instead of the paradise of sleep it had been the night before. Forcing himself into action, Bruce had laid on his back. He felt the warm body under him, imaginary, yes but perfect. He could feel forgiveness from that fake body, and gentle caresses on his torso. Bruce closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the sensations. 

When the strokes moved down to his cock, Bruce kept his hands on the bed. He had made an error, so now he had to give his imaginary lover what he wanted. Only his imaginary lover would understand how Bruce’s greatest gift was to give up control, even for a few minutes. Bruce could feel a matching hardness in his butt cheeks as hands worked him. It was a damn shame his imaginary lover couldn’t have a conversation or help him in his mission, but Bruce had always wanted more than he could have. 

“I don’t even deserve this bliss.” Bruce spoke out loud even as he tried to focus on the sensations of his body. 

His imaginary lover responded with a bite on the neck and a flood of emotions. Bruce climaxed at the feeling, the silent idea that he was loved, forgiven, desirable and worthy. Lying on top of his imaginary lover, Bruce returned to himself. He’d analyze this later, try and figure out how he could orgasm without ever touching himself. If he was with a real person, he’d have to get up and clean up or risk being stuck to them. For tonight, he just fell asleep where he was. 

B _Sb_ Bs

The December meeting of the JL was officially over and Batman was making his way to the door. He knew he shouldn’t have come, and he’d been right. The meeting had dissolved into Christmas party planning twenty two minutes after it had started. Batman had sat there and tried to come up with a more efficient fuel mixture for the Batmobile. He was almost to the door when Shyera stepped in front of him. 

“Batman, tell me of your new lover.” Bruce blinked under the lenses even as he spoke. 

“Pardon?” 

“Last year, this meeting bored you so much you left. This year, you stayed and worked. You’ve been calmer and more centered over the last several meetings, even as your alter ego has slipped out of the gossip columns.” Shyera was frowning under her mask as she said this. 

She’d made some interesting observations, and Bruce knew he’d have to do something about that last one. It was important that Brucie was a distraction, but had he really been calmer? 

“Such changes are the result of happiness and I want to know who could make you happy.” She concluded. 

“Hawkgirl, it’s just sex. If you’ll excuse me?” He gestured at the door behind her, but she leaned in until the point of her mask almost touched his nose. Batman didn’t let himself pull back. 

“It’s more than that, and if you don’t tell me about it, I’ll tell the whole JL my theory.” 

Bruce frowned at that. Besides being reluctant to share his personal life with, well, anybody, he couldn’t begin to explain it was all in his mind. Shyera was a fighter, not a detective and she had seen this. He needed to adjust his disguise, after he defused her suspicions with half truths. Bruce leaned around to whisper into her ear. 

“Shyera, I don’t want this spread around. It’s a guy and I’m not ready for that to come out.” He pulled away from her to watch her blink at this new information. 

“I won’t tell, but I’d like to know his name. Might help give me an idea as to what kind of person he is.” 

Bruce licked his lips as he thought. Guy names, but one that was too common would sound made up. Not too rare, with just a touch of foreign so he could be ‘out of town’ if Shyera ever wanted to get together. Something that sounded strong enough to take on the Batman part of Bruce, like Kal. 

“His name is Kai. He’s the exact opposite of me and I don’t know what he sees in me. I said I’d meet him after this meeting was over.” Adding that last was a bit of a low blow, but Shyera was grinning as she moved aside. 

“Don’t make him wait, then.” 

Bruce walked around her, but turned to give her a nod before he stepped out the door. Behind her, Clark was slumped in a chair, his back to Bruce. No reason Clark should look like his dog had just died, as he’d been so happy during the meeting. Bruce made a mental note to talk to Clark about it later and made good his escape. 

B _Sb_ Bs

As he fell, Bruce could see the multicolored Christmas lights scattered around the countryside below him. He knew that once he was close enough to the ground to see those relatively small bits of light clearly, nobody could get here in time to save him. Damn stupid way to die, blasted out of Brucie’s private jet by one of Toyman’s bombs. No tools, no weapons, not even a cape to slow his descent. He couldn’t even call someone on his cell phone and activate the ‘in case of death’ protocols he’d developed. All his training and he was going to die as Brucie! And he was going to squash a chicken, if the stupid thing didn’t move in the next three seconds. 

Bruce kept his eyes open as he waited for impact, not expecting someone to grab his back. Superman directed them into a tight spiral, parallel to the ground to work off the momentum Bruce had developed during his plummet. Clark stopped spiraling and rested, holding Bruce on top of him. Clark started talking, panicking about how close to death Bruce was. Bruce focused instead on the body under him, and how very familiar it felt. The right size, that same firm denseness Bruce had come to associate with Kia, his recently named imaginary friend. The same friend who had been so pissed since he’d been named. Since Bruce had seen Clark collapsed in a chair, as if in agony. 

“Shit!” 

“Bruce? What’s wrong? Green Lantern got the crew off and your plane landed, we just didn’t know you’d been blown out when the bomb went off, so it took me a moment to get here.” 

“That’s great, Clark. Now take me home, I’ve got something I need to figure out.” 

“Don’t you want me to take you wherever you were going?” 

“Brucie’s too traumatized to make that party. Take me home, please.” 

“You must be traumatized if you said please! Wayne Manor, here we come.” Clark shifted him around until he was in his arms and flew him home. He landed them on the front steps, and set Bruce down with a concerned look on his face. “Do you need anything?” 

“No. Actually, yes, but not from you. I need to see J’onn about something. Would you ask him to come to the cave while I change out of these singed clothes? Once he gets here, you’ll know I’m being taken care of, and you can go.” 

“It’s amazing the way you can make a dismissal seem like you care about my feelings.” 

“I’m not trying to manipulate you; I just don’t want you listening in. I need to have this conversation with J’onn in the cave, because that’s where I’m most comfortable.” Bruce turned away from Clark to ring his doorbell, studying the patterns in the door. “I’ll call J’onn, don’t worry about it.” 

Clark sighed behind him, even as Alfred opened the door. “If you think you need his help, it’s him you’ll get. I’ll call him for you.” 

Bruce went inside and up to his room, counting his steps. A quick change of clothes as he walked around his room gave him more steps to count, before he counted his way down to the cave. The counting shut down his mind, keeping him distracted from his own thoughts. The thoughts of Clark holding him, touching him, loving him. Only for Clark would he do what he was about to do, letting the alien into his mind. J’onn was waiting for him in the cave, and followed Bruce to the meditation room. Bruce sat in a full lotus and J’onn floated opposite of him, in the same position. 

“J’onn, I need you to find out what’s wrong with my brain and fix it.” 

“What makes you believe something is wrong with your brain?” 

“I’ve been having a long-term affair with an imaginary man based on Clark’s physical characteristics.” 

“I see where you have developed your conclusion. Are you ready for me?” 

“I’m going to try and relax, releasing the shields you taught me. When you can get in my head, do so.” 

“I will be gentle, and seek only the pertinent information.” 

“I know, J’onn. That’s why I sent for you.” Bruce closed his eyes and set about relaxing mentally. He trusted J’onn as much as he could, but his brain was the only thing special about him. Bruce was always wary of messing with his brain, but he knew he should have done this when he first felt Kai. It was so unlike him to let this continue, to ignore it until he grew to depend on it. 

_Relax, Batman. I can go no further until you do so._

Sorry. 

Concentrating on his breathing, Bruce saw his memories of Kia surface. The most recent ones first, Kia’s heartbreak after seeing Clark look so hurt. As J’onn pulled the memories up, Bruce could finally analyze them instead of feeling them. Clark had looked hurt because he heard Bruce confess to being with another man, and it wasn’t him. Like on the spaceship, when Clark had wondered how Bruce could sleep with an alien who wasn’t him. Clark had been angry at that, and Kai had too. 

They’d both forgiven him and things had been better, stronger until the naming. And then the memory of that first touch was there, as a hand had checked for fever, much as Clark would have done if Bruce had let him. If Bruce wasn’t such a bastard to Clark, if he wasn’t afraid of facing how impressed with Clark he’d always been. Under those insults and glares, was a man afraid of how wonderful Clark seemed. Nothing was ever that good, and Batman was waiting for Clark to prove that while Bruce fell in love. Bruce snapped his eyes open and watched as J’onn returned to his body. 

“I did not know you were so unaware of your motivations for distancing yourself from Kal-el.” 

“What? You think I’ve felt this way for years and didn’t know it?” 

“True passion may be expressed as lust or anger. As you only acted that way to him, I believed you to be aware of the cause. This experience has shown otherwise.” 

“Whatever. Make it stop. Get his shadow out of my mind, and if you want to kill the love weed while you’re there, do it.” 

“It does not work that way, Batman.” J’onn held up a placating hand before Bruce could formulate an appropriate growling response. “This Kai character is a result of magic and you should deal with that before you confront your feelings.” 

“Magic started this, then magic can end this. When you return to the Watchtower, tell everybody to look for Klarion. I just need to know where his hideout is, no one should attempt to apprehend the brat.” 

“As you request, Batman. But you should be aware that your passion, much like your doubts about your self-worth, predates this spell.” J’onn shifted until he was able to move through walls and floated upward. Bruce watched him go, wishing he could make the truth so insubstantial. 

B _Sb_ Bs

When word came that Klarion was in Seattle, Batman took the quickest route there. He transported up to the Watchtower and then down to the city in question. The mansion Klarion was ‘borrowing’ had been given a haunted house makeover, so Batman felt right at home as he walked up to it. Klarion had to have magical wards in place, so Batman did something bizarre. He rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. Klarion answered the door with a shocked expression on his face. 

“Klarion, remove this curse or I’ll tell every magic user in every dimension just where to find you.” 

“What curse?” The shocked expression had given way to confusion, and Batman hated that he believed it. 

“Ever since I rescued you from Freeze, something has been going on. That event is the cause, so stop whatever you did to me that night.” 

“I freed Beast Boy from the transmogrification spell, as Teekl said.” 

“Teekl, your cat?” 

“Yes. Why would I have…?” Klarion trailed off and turned his attention inward. A second later, the orange cat was beside him and they locked eyes. 

Batman could avoid outward signs of impatience when something important was happening, but when Klarion threw his head back to laugh, Batman reached for him. A solid, yet invisible wall stopped his motion and made Klarion laugh harder. 

“I have shields to protect me, had them up since you appeared on my lawn. But I’ll tell you what’s going on, simply because it’s hysterical! Teekl, you see, is a romantic at heart.” 

Batman waited, knowing he couldn’t do much else, while Klarion sat in midair and let Teekl settle in his lap. 

“You understood I’d owe you for releasing Teekl and told her what payment you wanted. You overlooked the fact that Teekl is her own person, probably because she’s not a person. You freed a cat, but she is a creature of magic and owed you payment. As a romantic, she saw the only magic in you and gave it physical form.” 

“I don’t have magic.” Teekl turned her head to look at Batman like he was an idiot, so Batman let a hand rest on the tranquilizer dart for animals in his belt. 

“Most humans have one touch of magic, you just chose to call it love.” 

“What?” 

“Teekl saw your love, hidden and denied. She gave it physical form so that you would acknowledge it. As I said, Teekl is a romantic and this was her idea of a blessing.” 

“Tell her to make it stop.” 

“Names are powerful things in magic.” 

“So?” 

“You’ve named this blessing, found the person it’s based on. You’ve felt what she would have done had she been there to do it, and you’ve realized who she is. The only way to make the shadow go away is to let the origin into your life.” 

“I hate magic.” 

“I know, and it makes me wish I’d thought of this blessing years ago!” Klarion was laughing again, and Batman was fighting the urge to strangle him again.

“It’s not a blessing, Klarion. I’m going to look into this, and if I find out you’re lying…”

“I know, I know, you’ll make me pay. Our session is done, pay the secretary on your way out!” The door slammed shut between them, without Klarion moving. 

Batman wanted to break that door down and beat Klarion into a cat treat. Teekl would look good trapped in the pound. Instead, Batman signaled the Watchtower to bring him up. He’d have to individually talk to anybody on the JL who used magic and tell them not to talk to each other. He’d let their own assumptions protect him, as most would believe his curse appeared as a female. Clark could never know of this. 

B _Sb_ Bs

Batman left Zatanna’s room on the Watchtower, temporarily distracted from his anger by the noise. It took him a minute to identify it as dance music, reminding him of the Christmas Eve party the JL was having. Zatanna walked by him, eager to get to it. Bruce followed, having no other ideas where to go. He’d talked with every magic user he knew and Zatanna had simply been the last one to finish her research. They all told him the same things, that familiars had powerful magic of their own but rarely used it. They agreed that his only recourse was to admit his love, let the object of his affections accept or break his heart. Make the delusion real and then he could kill it, except he couldn’t hurt Clark. 

The big lug though Bruce was a good guy, and a relationship would only destroy that image. They’d never be able to work together again, and Batman would be lucky if Superman didn’t decide he was a villain after all. Lurking in the doorway, Batman could see him talking with Diana. Clark looked okay, but Bruce could see tiny signs of sorrow. Clark’s smile wasn’t as bright as it should have been, his movements not as determined and energetic. Maybe he should show Clark how much of a bastard he was, just to help Clark get over him that much quicker. 

Bruce’s epiphany left him a little dizzy. All this time, he’d been sure Clark wanted him. He’d been automatically finding ways to help Clark over that feeling, assuming that he eventually would. Get the heartbreak over with quick so it wouldn’t hurt so bad when it finally did happen. He could just be transferring the wishful thinking of his imaginary friend onto Clark, but it still felt real. Clark couldn’t love him they way his imaginary version did, so he could just tell Clark. One embarrassing confession and this would all be over, if Bruce wanted it to be. But Bruce loved the delusion, now that he had it. What did he want? 

He needed to leave, to sort this out on his own, except Zatanna was now standing behind Clark. She gestured so Bruce couldn’t help but see and a sprig of Mistletoe appeared over Clark. Diana saw it and laughed before moving in for her kiss. She was stopped by the sudden appearance of Batman, who’d run across the room while she wasted time laughing. 

There was a lot of staring as Bruce looked for words and Diana and Clark looked for an explanation. Zatanna redeemed herself, by stepping forward and leading Diana away while whispering in her ear. Bruce didn’t know what she was saying, but he knew what he had to say before Clark heard it from someone else. 

“Shit, Clark!” That wasn’t it, it just came out first. 

“You said that the other day.” 

“Well, the shit storm has gotten worse.” 

“Can I help? I’m good with storms.” Clark was trying to joke but worry crept around his eyes. 

“Come with me.” Clark followed, Bruce could feel it as he turned and walked away. He knew Clark was confused, but delighted at the prospect of helping Bruce. It didn’t make what was about to happen any easier, but a resolute Bruce let them into his room. Bruce locked to door behind them and turned to face Clark. His words disappeared in the face of Clark’s eager expression and he stalled for time by taking off the cowl. 

“Are you okay, Bruce?” 

“No. You remember when Freeze forced Klarion to amplify his magic?” Clark nodded, leaving Bruce to do the talking. “His cat thanked me for releasing her by forcing me to admit to the feelings I’ve worked so hard to bury.” 

“His cat? And how does that count as a thanks?” 

“Long story. Point is, I’m, um, in, you know, with you.” 

Clark gave him a shocked look as he trailed off, but it quickly turned into confusion. “You’ve lost me. You’re what with me? Mad? You’re always mad at me.” 

Bruce saw it then, the tiny signs Clark was trying to hide from him, the downcast eyes and micro frown of pain. It hurt Clark that Bruce was always treated him so badly. Bruce’s protective armor, perfectly fitted to his form, suddenly seemed confining and he couldn’t breathe properly. He pulled out of the armor as fast as he could, pacing after he got the pants off. Now Clark was concerned and x-raying him, looking for a physical explanation. 

“Stop that. You won’t find my heart with your x-ray.” 

“I see your heart, it’s rather fast for not being in a fight.” 

“I am in a fight, with myself. And that’s not the heart you can’t see.” 

“What?” 

Bruce turned to Clark to confirm the ‘deer in headlights’ look that Bruce had heard in his voice. “Damn it, Kent! I’m trying to tell you I yell and insult you because that’s as close as I can get to showing love. I don’t know why you’d saddle yourself with me, but I love you.” 

“Love?” 

“Yes.” 

“You?” 

“Yes.” 

“Me?” 

“It’s not forensic accounting or the chemical formula of rocket fuel! It’s emotions, the crap you’re supposed to understand, so catch up!” The anger at Clark’s slow questions left Bruce with his words. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for Clark to laugh at him. Studied the carpet and waited for what must come. Clark would laugh, tell Bruce he was decidedly heterosexual. And even if he was gay, who’d want an emotional cripple who couldn’t even keep up physically without mechanical assistance? 

“Who’s Kai?” Startled at the words, Bruce looked up. Clark shrugged and blushed. “You told Shyera you were dating Kai, not just a one night stand like the alien.” 

“Kai was what I named the spell. He was an imaginary version of, well, you. Forced me to admit I wanted you, by doing what you’d have done. Long story, just tell me to go fuck myself and it’ll be over that much sooner.” 

“Go what yourself?” 

“Don’t start that again!” 

“Show me.” 

“Show you what?” 

“Show me you’re willing to try and give me what I need, instead of being the self centered jerk everybody says you are.” 

“What?” 

“It’s not astrophysics, Bruce, so I’ll explain it to you in simple terms. I want you, what you’re offering, but my brain won’t accept that you’re offering. Surely you can understand that.” 

Bruce had to nod at that; he did understand when the brain and heart couldn’t agree. For him, he always let his brain win before, before Clark. 

“So, right now, you’re going to prove to me that you really want this. You’re going to do what I say without question or complaint. You are going to give me control.” 

Bruce knew he had the ‘deer in headlights’ expression on his face, but it wasn’t only because of this strange show of dominance from Clark. Bruce could hear his previous thought, an echo of the time he’d come without touching himself. Only someone who really loved him would understand what giving up control meant to him. He had no idea what Clark wanted, but he trusted him with his body and soul. Bruce nodded to Clark, and got a look of wonderment in return. 

“Take off the rest of your clothes, especially those tube socks. Highly unattractive, even on you.” 

Trying not to think about that comment or the twinge of lust it gave him to know Clark though he was attractive; Bruce did as he was told. Of course, he took the socks off last, simply because he was who he was. 

“My fault for not being specific enough, huh?” Clark asked, clearly rhetorically. “In that case, lay your head at the head of the bed on a pillow, on your back. Your body will lie on the bed as well, feet being near the foot of the bed.” 

Clark paused his words to let Bruce do as instructed. 

“Excellent. Keep your legs flat, but spread them out. Turn your head to look at me, keep your eyes on me.” Clark was sitting in midair, fully dressed but with a naked desire on his face. 

Bruce couldn’t see if Clark was aroused because of where his legs were crossed and Bruce toyed with the idea that Clark had done so on purpose. It didn’t really seem like him, but neither did this whole situation. 

“Bruce, you are going to masturbate yourself until you come. While you do that, you are going to talk to me, tell me what you want, what you like.” 

Bruce froze, as if waiting for further instructions. 

“Bruce, I’m telling you to fuck yourself, not to go away. I’m not messing with you, I need to see you give up control before we try anything more.” Clark’s tone was apologetic, missing the desire that had been so apparent in his earlier words. 

Bruce didn’t know how to tell him that wasn’t why he hesitated. He could have lived with Clark telling him to go away, let the flame die, as it was the smart thing to do. Bruce hadn’t reached for himself because this was real and giving up control to a real person was much harder than submitting to what was a piece of his own brain. Bruce had never given up control like that, which was why Clark needed it. He'd do it, but only for Clark, because he was that far gone in love. 

“Clark, you’re beautiful, an angel without wings. I want you down on my level, even as I want you to stay pure.” Bruce kept his eyes on Clark as he brought his left hand up to his nipples. The right hand slid slowly down his side and around his thigh. “I’m going to touch myself, wishing it was you, as I’ve done for so long now. I want to touch you like this, find out what you like.” 

Clark licked his bottom lip as Bruce reached for his cock. 

“I’m tired of my hand, I want your hand and your cock. I’ve seen you naked, wondered just how big I could make you. Thought it was sex I wanted from you, with your magnificent body and beautiful cock. That I could get over it, that’s why I let myself believe it was all I wanted. You stroking my balls, sucking on my lower lip. You, breaking a kiss to trail downward, chilling and heating my nipples with your breath. Your hands, wrapping around both our cocks, and then you start vibrating, doing things to me no human can. Debasing yourself by letting me touch you!” 

Clark’s eyes focused on Bruce’s mouth at that, but still taking in the sight of Bruce’s hand stroking his now hard length. The left hand had moved down to work with Bruce’s balls. 

“Do you know what face fucking is, Clark? You, in my mouth, pounding me into the surface behind me, me gagging and swallowing and taking whatever you want to give me. Do you want to bend me over, ramming into me? I’ll beg you to do it as hard as you can, but you never will, You’d break my fragile pelvis, so you’d never let yourself go. I want to see you let go.” 

A flush had overtaken Clark’s face, but the mental images Bruce was creating did more to damage his control. 

“Yes Clark, I love you but I’ll never be one to say it. Do it instead, let you do to me what you want. You want me to suck on you, stroke you, open myself for you. I’m yours. Own me! Use me, touch me, let me near you. You, Clark, coming for me, on me, in me!” 

Bruce’s orgasm was for Clark, proof that he would lose control for Clark, so Bruce was able to watch Clark through it. Clark didn’t seem pleased but took off his clothes as he sped over to curl around Bruce’s body. Bruce smiled, surprised about how much better it felt than his imaginings. Clark was whispering in his ear, something his imaginary friend had never been able to do. Nor had Bruce been able to look at him with his eyes open, so he did so now. Clark was staring at him like he’d never get enough of the view either, his hand stroking Bruce’s hair. 

“Beautiful, darling Bruce. Scary Batman, dunderhead Brucie. Atrophied heart and over extended brain. I’m so sorry!” 

“Sorry? What do you have to apologize for?” Bruce was confused, but didn’t raise his voice over the whisper Clark was using. 

“I drank the cool-aid. I knew better, I knew you but I chose to believe what they said about you. Decided you were arrogant and slutty so I wouldn’t have to risk you breaking my heart. I wanted to pull you to me, instead I let you push me away.” 

“I’m very good at pushing.” 

“Pushing buttons. I tried to push your buttons, scare you away with my demands that you give up control. I thought you wanted to control everything around you. I didn’t realize and for that I’m sorry!” 

“Quit apologizing and explain.” 

“It’s not arrogance like people think. You control yourself so you don’t screw up!” 

“Too much depends on getting things right the first time.” 

“Not me, and not us. You can do the sex bit, but the emotions and communication of a long term relationship are new to you. I don’t expect you to get it right the first time. You’ll screw up, I’ll get mad and I’ll come back to you. I’ll forgive and give you as many chances as you need.” 

“You understand me, accept me and forgive me? I don’t deserve it, or you.” 

“Bruce, you love me, right?” 

“Kind of the point of this, but yes. I love you.” 

“Here’s the deal. You keep loving me and I’ll teach you to love yourself.” 

“I just did.” 

“Not physically, and you know it. We’ll go out on proper dates, building a relationship outside of work.” 

“Couldn’t we just have sex and sign texts with x’s and o’s?” 

“Well, we’ll have hugs and kisses and sex. Lots and lots of sex, but I refuse to sign with x’s and o’s.” 

“Thank God! That kind of crap would drive me insane.” 

“Mushy stuff isn’t really love anyway. It’s the day to day stuff, the little signs of affection that keep love growing.” 

“Figures. I could fake the mushy crap.” 

“Bruce, I’m going to show you what love really is.” 

“If you want to waste your time, go ahead.” 

“It’s not a waste.” 

“What do you get out of it then?” 

“You, Bruce! The most precious thing in the universe.” 

Bruce took a minute to absorb Clark’s words, unsure of how to respond. In the end he couldn’t think of an answer, so he used words to distract Clark. 

“I thought we vetoed the mushy crap.” 

Clark saw the distraction, narrowed his eyes and considered it. “I have time on my side, so I’ll convince you eventually.” 

Bruce had to roll his eyes at the delusional farm boy’s words. 

Clark grinned down at him. “Fine, let’s move on to the sex.” 

“I knew there was a reason I thought you were smart.” 

“Shut up and kiss me.” Clark said, while moving his head into position. 

Bruce, being a smart guy himself, did just that. 

B _Sb_ Bs


End file.
